Dr. Secord on the Management of Patients With Sarcoma

Angeles Alvarez Secord, MD, gynecologic cancers specialist, Duke Cancer Center, discusses the management of patients with sarcoma.

The management of female patients with sarcoma is very challenging, explains Secord. Historically, physicians have not had many available therapies for women with sarcoma, but there have been several FDA approvals that have pushed the field forward, such as doxorubicin and olaratumab (Lartruvo). Olaratumab was FDA approved in October 2016. Secord states that she often uses olaratumab in her own practice as a go-to regimen for these women. Physicians also have the option of trabectedin (Yondelis) in select patients as well as pazopanib (Votrient).

Though physicians have access to these agents, there is a lot of work to be done, says Secord. In women with early-stage sarcoma, there may not be a role for adjuvant therapy with the currently available therapeutic agents. As physicians come to better understand the disease, they will be able to develop better drugs, concludes Secord.